Happily Never After
by etgoddess
Summary: The white noise in his heart, the sum of all his colors, the metronome to which he beat - was she.


A/N: Because I dearly miss all my fellow NJ-loving friends. There just isn't any other fandom quite like you. Thank you for making the GG years so very memorable.

* * *

Somewhere, in some reality, there is a Jenny and Nate that are happy

_(happy together)_

Somewhere, there is a Jenny and Nate that stood strong through fashion shows

_("Jenny, whatever you decide, I'm with you.")_

And a brother's anger

_("What are you doing? Or is this not you with my fifteen year old sister?")_

And a father's betrayal

_("It'll only stop when you stop it.")_

A Jenny and Nate that ruled Cotillion

and celebrated successful finals at Columbia and an acceptance to Parsons

and made jokes via text message through the entirety of Rufus and Lily's wedding ceremony

_(okay and the reception)_

A couple that was the first, last, and only for each other,

A Nate and Jenny that watched New Moon on pay-per-view at 2 AM when the alcohol was finally slowing them down and held the other up when they fell

_("You know I'm always here for you.")_

* * *

Somewhere, in some reality, there is a Nate and Jenny Archibald.

And they are very happy in their comfortable home with their beautiful children and their photos on the mantle of a birthday twelve years ago, celebrated at a café with ice cream and sparklers and no interruptions

_("Listen I gotta get going, I told Serena I'd be there by three to get ready for the gala.")_

A fedora hangs from a corner of their four-post bed

_(and she still wears it sometimes; when he is an especially good boy she even pairs it with the scarf and trench coat)_

Waffles are still a staple and syrup is still a food group

And she still cooks in knee-high socks and his shirt on the mornings the kids are with Grandma and Grandpa

_(or Aunt Blair and Uncle Chuck, or Aunt Serena and Uncle Dan)_

* * *

Somewhere, in some reality, there is a JennyandNate

that spend summer weekends in the Hamptons watching Chuck and Blair sneak off & Dan and Serena make-out and Eric roll his eyes and drag Elliott further down the shoreline

and Labor Day in the city because it is blissfully empty

and Thanksgiving at the Vanderbass-Humphrey's because it is relentlessly full

and Christmas Eve alone because they can

and Christmas Day at the Waldorf's

_(and then the Waldorf-Bass')_

Because it is tradition and they are family.

* * *

This Jenny is blessed to have a supportive family and loving

_(if crazy)_

friends, and she thanks all kinds of higher powers for that every time she closes her eyes at night

_(just in case she is to wake up in a world where Nate is a stranger and Blair is an enemy and Dan is only a brother in terms of genetic code)_

* * *

This Nate is blessed to have people in his life that make him forget his family isn't perfect

and push him when he wants to stop trying

and he prays to God just before he falls asleep that he will never have to know any other existence

_(where Jenny is a stranger and Chuck is an enemy and Dan is someone he knew once in high school)_

* * *

Somewhere, in some reality, Jennifer Tallulah and Nathaniel Fitzwilliam say "I do"

in the summer, in the city

_(because every important moment; every front walk-up, every hotel, every café owns a little piece of them and it is only fair to share this day with them too)_

And everyone they love is there

_(and Blair cries and Dan sniffles and Chuck tears up but he'd rather die than admit it)_

And it is in the society pages and the town talks about it for weeks.

They welcome Aurelia Anne the following spring and Dan is the one to almost pass out

_(and Chuck cries—openly, and Blair wants one just like it)_

There are christenings and Godparents

_(and almost bloodshed)_

And Nate gets promoted and Jenny's line debuts at Fashion Week to thunderous applause and critical acclaim and there is talk of next season and a magazine

_(and wouldn't a husband-wife venture be perfect?)_

And Matthew William enters the world on a chilly February morning three years later and this time Nate cries because his son, _his son_ just makes this family unbelievably perfect and he loves them,

He loves his wife so much it physically pains him and he just wants to kiss her and never, never let go.

* * *

This blonde, silly little thing that blew into his world years ago in a flurry of books and scarves and plaid, planted her big girl heels in his heart and never, never left.

* * *

A/N: Music credit goes to "If You Asked" by Longview.


End file.
